Stuck in the Middle
by fieldhockihunni
Summary: Bella and Edward meet at college and are brought together magnetically. Just as they begin getting close to each other a series of crimes leads Bella to Edward -- but not in a favorable way. E, A, & J are vamps. ExB AxJ
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Summary: Bella and Edward meet at college and are brought together magnetically. Just as they begin getting close to each other a series of crimes leads Bella to Edward -- but not in a favorable way. Edward, Alice, and Jasper are vampires. BxE AxJ

This is my first fan fic so I would love feedback. If you like it then I'll continue so let me know what you think.

**BPOV**

I slouched down in my seat in the far corner of the coffee shop, sipping my chai as inconspicuously as possible. This was my spot, damnnit. How dare he intrude?

I was at my regular "hang out", the coffee shop around the corner from my apartment. I was here daily doing homework, writing, or just daydreaming. My general drink of choice was a large caramel latte with skim milk and an extra shot of espresso but as of late I was trying to seem more "mysterious" and in attempting so had decided to go with the Oregon Chai today. Not the perfect choice. Right as I was wincing down my chai -- I was just remembering why I never ordered this -- he glanced in my direction giving me a curious look. I quickly set my chai down and focused my attention on my laptop which was open in front of me.

I had totally lost my train of thought. What was I supposed to be writing? How long had I been here? What was the day of the week? I tightened my fists and forced myself to take deep breathes until I had settled myself down. This guy had been dazzling me on a daily basis ever since I had first seen him several weeks ago. I just couldn't seem to escape him. We had a couple of classes together at the university and as if that wasn't enough, he had decided to show up at my secret abode, _my_ coffee shop.

From my peripheral vision I could see him approaching a set of chairs that was just several yards away from me. My heart sunk -- he was with a girl. She flitted behind him like a little fairy; it seemed as though she were walking on air. He gracefully sat down in one of the chairs, setting his mug down on the table beside him. I caught myself staring and had to force myself to pay attention to the task at hand -- but what was the task at hand? Ah, yes I was to be outlining a paper for one of my classes, a class that I shared with him, actually, with Edward. The paper was so cliché, something you would expect to be assigned your freshman year in high school, not your freshman year at college. I was to choose any two Shakespearean plays and compare and contrast the writing style. I typed Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth into the word processor on my laptop.

I allowed myself a quick peek at Edward and the girl he was with. They were speaking very quietly and quickly to each other. I couldn't actually hear anything they were saying but could see their lips moving. They stopped speaking abruptly and sat in silence for several seconds. I was biting my lip and staring at him intently from behind my hair. During their silence they began looking around the coffee shop and once again, his eyes met mine.

Damnit, he had caught me starting. My whole body froze and I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from him. I waved at him shyly, hoping that he recognized me from some of our classes. He nodded his head in my direction before leaning forward in his seat and speaking to the girl again. After a quick exchange they both stood, returned their mugs to the counter, and left.

I sighed. I obviously wasn't in the state of mind to get any work done. I closed my laptop, disappointed with myself that I had only written down the two titles that I would be focusing on in my upcoming paper. I gathered all of my things and shoved them into my messenger bag before leaving the warmth of the coffee shop.

I could smell the aroma of the food before I even stepped foot into my apartment.

"Honey, I'm home!" I shouted dramatically as I entered the studio apartment that I shared with my best friend Angela. I ended up stumbling through the doorway and right into my roommate as she was making dinner. "Whoops!" I said, as I ran into her, forcing her to spill the pasta in the bowl that she was carrying. "Aw Ang I'm sorry. I'll make more."

"Oh, Bella!" She said, startled. Then, gaining her composure she said, "No, no, don't worry about it" as she bent down to scoop up the spilled pasta. "The water's still hot so it should only take a few minutes to make some more. How's the paper going?"

"It's not." I said, taking off my jacket and setting my bag down. I took a seat on one of the two stools in the kitchen before continuing. "I saw that guy at Awakenings today. That guy I've been telling you about, Edward.

"And?" She asked, encouraging me to continue.

"I was so busying watching him out of the corner of my eye that I only ever wrote down a few words before packing up. He was with a girl."

"A girl, huh?" She asked, mixing the contents of a pot on the stove.

"She was gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. Just like him, of course. I just can't pay attention when I'm around him. It's pathetic." I said, feeling defeated. I forced a smile upon my face. Angela was my best friend and I could tell her anything but I didn't want even her to know how caught up I was on this complete stranger. We were only two weeks into school at NYU. This guy was in two of my classes but we hadn't even spoken to each other. So why couldn't I stop thinking about him?

**EPOV**

"This is the place!" Alice chirped as we approached a coffee shop.

"Awakenings?" I asked.

She nodded her head and entered the café, me following behind her.

I resisted the urge to do a visual sweep around the café to see if we were in the right place and instead went up to the counter, ordering drinks for both Alice and I. As we were waiting for our drinks to be prepared I allowed myself to look around the room and immediately found the face that I had been looking for. She had a slight grimace on her face as she looked at me. How odd. That couldn't be directed towards me, could it? She quickly snapped her head away from me, directing her attention towards the laptop in front of her.

Our coffees were ready and I grabbed both of them, leading Alice towards a set of chairs that was in the general direction of where Bella was sitting. I sat down, setting our coffees on the table between our chairs.

I had overheard Bella on the phone after class today telling someone that she would be "at the regular spot" this afternoon. For the last few days I had been telling Alice about Bella -- this girl whom I found quite intriguing. We had several classes together at the University and though I knew next to nothing about her I felt some sort of a pull towards her. Alice had somehow managed to take the small tid-bit of information about this girl that I was able to give her and miraculously come up with the exact spot of where she would be this afternoon. Out of all of the cafes in New York City, she narrowed it down to this small and cozy coffee ship.

She leaned in, taking a few minutes to tell me how she had figured it all out. When she was done with her explanation she smiled smugly. Alice never ceased to amaze me. I rolled my eyes at her tactics and sat back in my chair attempting to appear natural.

I turned my head slightly, just enough so that I could see her face. Our eyes locked. She was looking back at me and this time she wasn't grimacing, no not at all. Her eyes were wide and her eyebrow was slightly creased as though she were in deep thought. We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before she gave me a small wave. I repressed the urge to crack a smile and nodded in her direction instead. I averted my attention away from her, looking around the coffee shop, looking anywhere but at her. I suddenly felt foolish for coming here. I was basically stalking this girl who I had never even spoken to before!

"I don't know why I wanted to come here. This is ridiculous. I'm sorry for wasting your time. Let's go." I told Alice. She looked at me with a confused expression but didn't say anything as I stood up and began collecting my things. Before exiting the coffee shop I threw away our untouched coffees.

**BPOV**

I slumped down into my chair in my European Literature class as quietly as possible. I was late, earning a glare from my teacher. The class was in the middle of discussing our latest assignment -- the Shakespearean paper. I pulled my essay out of my messenger bag and attempted to smooth out all of the creases before placing it on my desk. I crossed and uncrossed my legs repeatedly, jiggling my feet all the while.

I suddenly felt someone brush my left shoulder.

"Excuse me" said the angel voice "but your shoelace is untied… I, um…." he finished awkwardly.

Surprised by the exchange I whipped my head backwards and in the direction of the voice. Edward's face was about six inches away from mine and he smiled at me, pointing towards my pair of converse. He was perfection personified. I wanted to reach my hand out and stroke his face but I stopped myself. I stared dumbly at him, unable to tie my shoe or even to turn back around.

His eyebrows raised slightly as he said, "Here, allow me." He gestured for my foot so I slowly moved it closer to him. He swiftly lifted my foot onto his knee and tied my shoe quickly.

"Oh. Thanks."

"I never introduced myself, how rude of me. My name is Edward Cullen."

"I'm Bella… Bella Swan." I mumbled, still unable to pull myself together.

"Excuse me." The professor said loudly, facing Edward and I. "Is there something that you two wanted to share with the class or would you prefer to carry on your own private conversation?"

"I apologize for the distraction, professor. Bella and I were just discussing the uncanny similarities between Shakespeare's plays Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Interestingly enough she focused her paper on these plays, two of his works that I had never seem many similarities between before."

"Is that so? Well Bella, please share some of your findings with the class."

How did he know? How _could_ he possibly know what my paper had been on? Though he was sitting directly behind me the font that I wrote my paper with was very small, he would have had to held it up his face to read it. But before I was able to spend any more time thinking about it the professor cleared her throat, a sign that she wanted me to snap out of my fog and share my ideas with the class before I kept them waiting any longer.

The hand on the clock finally met the hour mark and class was over. The remainder of the class had been very tense. I sat as still as possible in my seat, self-conscious of my every mood, knowing that Edward was sitting behind me and that he very well could have been looking at me. _Get over yourself _my mind chastised. _Why would he be looking at you? He tied your shoe, big deal._

I got out of my seat slowly, making sure that I didn't fall on my way out of the classroom. I continued to walk until I had reached the door leading to the outside.

Something told me to look behind me and as I glanced over my shoulder I saw him. He was leaning against a wall at the end of the hallway looking at me. Even when I caught him looking he didn't turn away. He wasn't ashamed, he wasn't trying to hide that fact that he had been watching me. I was brought back to reality when a layer of goosebumps covered my arms. I couldn't be sure if it was the weather or if it was him.

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, if people are reading then I will be updating fairly quickly. I enjoy writing and have taken many English/Writing classes. I had an idea and threw this together fairly quickly but if people are interested then I'll put more time into the chapters to make them better and longer. Let me know what you think. I accept constructive criticism.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I know that the chapters aren't very long but it's only been a day and I've already posted another chapter =)

I forgot to say it in the last chapter (whoops) but I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.

**Chapter Two**

**BPOV**

I was sitting at my regular table at the coffee shop while I checked my e-mail and sipped on a steaming coffee.

I took in a deep breathe, enjoying my time alone. I came here to think, to relax, to meditate. It was all mine and I was never bothered here. As much as I loved Angela, I've always been one who enjoys time by myself.

I checked my blackberry absentmindedly and looked out the window to my right.

A small smile came to my face. It was raining. I welcomed the rain, it made me feel like I was home.

New York weather was ideal for me. The summers offered the perfect amount of warmth, nothing too overwhelming, but just enough heat to elicit some sweat, something that most girls despise but which I had become quite used to, being Arizona raised.

While the heat was doled out in perfect amounts so was the rain and the cloud cover. New York wasn't dark and dreary nearly everyday like Forks, Washington was -- the place that I had called home for the last several years -- but rain was not uncommon. Every raindrop that I felt while away from home seemed to bring some kind of comfort to me.

It was while looking out the window that I got an eerie feeling that I was being watched. I sat very still for several seconds, trying but failing to use my sixth sense. Some people were clairvoyant or had reliable gut feelings. I was not one of them.

I shrugged off my suspiciousness and left the table to use the bathroom quickly.

Before heading back to my table I stopped at the register and bought a blueberry muffin.

Right as I turned to walk back to the table that I had been sitting I saw something that made me do a double take. Edward Cullen was sitting on the couch on the opposite side of the coffee shop. He was leaning against the arm of the sofa and his onyx eyes were piercing down onto the book that was resting on his palms. He looked as though he could have been sitting there for hours.

Before he could catch me staring I turned and hurriedly walked back to my table.

_This is just a coincidence,_ I said to myself. _Maybe he lives in this neighborhood too. _But as much as I tried to convince myself that him being here had nothing to do with me, I didn't really want to believe it. Out of all of the coffee shops in the city how did he find this tiny, shabby, little establishment? There had to be some connection.

Frustrated with myself I focused my attention on my laptop and began doing some research for one of my classes. I would not allow him to distract me from my studies.

Right when I thought that I would never be able to pay attention to anything but his unnaturally beautiful face, I had successfully immersed myself into my research.

About fifteen minutes later I noticed a shadow cover me, blocking the sunlight from reaching my table. Annoyed at whatever was deterring my light I sighed and looked up to find the offender.

A dozen emotions crossed through my body when I saw his face. Shock. Embarrassment. Awe. Elation. Lust. Nervousness. Excitement. My mind finally settled on interest.

"Oh!" I said, my voice betraying each and every one of the emotions that had just been running through my mind.

He grinned at me. "I'm sorry for sneaking up on you. I was just thought that you might need another coffee." He was holding two coffee mugs in his hand and a half-eaten croissant.

"Oh wow. How thoughtful." I managed to spit out after several seconds of silence.

"Bold coffee with no sugar and half-and-half, correct?"

"I, um… actually yes, that is what I was drinking."

Upon seeing my shock he smiled and cocked his head to the side. "Lucky guess."

He slowly stepped forward and set one of the cups on the table. He stood there shyly for a moment before asking, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course not, help yourself." I motioned to the chair across from me. "I was actually just looking for an excuse to take a break from doing homework." I closed my laptop and took a sip of the coffee that he had just set down. "Mmm."

He slid into the chair across from me.

"I like this place, it's very… homey." He said while setting down his drink and croissant. "Do you come here often?"

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to respond. What if he was following me? I quickly decided that I didn't really mind if he was following me and that I'd give him an honest answer.

"Well I've come here nearly everyday since I've been in the city but this is my freshman year and I'm not from around here so I've only really been coming here for the last several weeks."

"A freshman? How do you like it so far?"

I realized that he was trying to start a conversation with me. But why would _he_ go out of his way to talk to _me_?

"The University, yes. But I don't really think that city life is for me. I haven't had a moment of silence since I've been here. And everyone is in such a hurry." I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts. No one had really asked me how I'd liked things since I had been there. "But I guess I'll never run out of things to do."

"If city life isn't for you then what kind of life is for you?" He asked.

I looked out the window while I pondered his question. This was a fairly deep inquiry for someone who didn't really know me.

"Something a bit more secluded. Where there is more greenery than concrete." My mind instantly flashed to Forks. How ironic. I was so eager to leave Forks when I was there but now that I was away from home I yearned for the small town setting.

I took a sip of my coffee and nibbled on my muffin. _But there are no coffee shops with cute boys_ _in Forks,_ I mused to myself.

We continued talking in this fashion, him asking me questions and brushing off anything that I asked about him.

I told him about where I used to live -- in Phoenix throughout my entire childhood and then in Forks for the last few years of high school.

When I asked him about his past residences, he didn't give me a straight answer but said that he had lived in many places and he had at one point or another traveled to every state in the Continental U.S.

He asked if I had any siblings and how I got along with my family. I went into a long story about my parents Renee and Charlie. I told him how they had divorced when I was young, that Renee had re-married, and that I had eventually moved to Forks to live with my dad. He nodded in understanding when I told him that though I was an only child Renee had always been more of a sister to me than a mother.

When I returned the question he told me that he had an unconventional family but that they all got along quite well and were very close.

He asked how hold I was -- I was eighteen -- but sidestepped the same question when I asked him.

We talked for about forty-five minutes but I eventually tired of his tactics. Why couldn't he just answer a simple question? With each question that I threw at him he gave me just enough information to leave me even more curious than I was before he had even answered.

"Well, I should really get going." I said several minutes after I had finished my coffee. "It's my turn to make dinner, Angela's done it the last few nights."

"Oh, I'm sorry for keeping you so long."

"No, no, it was nice talking with you." I answered honestly. He stood up as I began gathering my books. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"I'll be there." He said, departing with a smile.

As I swung my messenger bag over my shoulder I gathered my empty coffee mug and the plate that my muffin had been placed on. I thought back on our entire exchange and couldn't help but notice that Edward had brought a coffee and croissant to the table with him but hadn't touched either of them the entire time that he had been here.

"How peculiar." I said under my breathe as I left the coffee shop.

**EPOV**

As I began my trip home I became frustrated with the slow pace that I was forced to walk at. I felt like I was in slow motion keeping in step with the crowd around me.

I took my iPod out of my coat pocket and put the headphones in my ears. The music that flowed through the wires managed to calm me.

I grimaced as I realized how dry my throat was. I really shouldn't go so long without feeding, especially in such a highly populated area. Especially when I knew I would be around Bella.

Her scent, it was so -- no. I wouldn't do this. I forced my mind to think of something else -- anything else.

I didn't feel like dealing with the subway, the stench, the grime, all of the people.

I stepped closer to the curb and reached my hand out to hail a cab. Less than thirty seconds later a taxi pulled up next to me. I told the driver my destination and sat back, knowing that it would be at least a ten minute ride.

As much as I despised the subway system sometimes riding in cabs was even worse. The ride was always jerky and each turn was unexpected. You could always hear a car horn in the near distance and the cabbie always seemed to be swearing under his breath at whatever crossed his path -- pedestrians, stop lights, vehicles.

Though having a car in the city could be a nuisance I would have to find someway to have an accessible vehicle. I could only put up with public transportation for so long.

I would have to convince Alice that we would need to find a storage unit somewhere near our apartment where we could keep a car. I missed the feeling of a steering wheel underneath my fingertips, of the gas pedal resting beneath my foot. I missed that sense of control.

The car stopped abruptly and the cabbie mumbled "Eighteen seventy-two."

I handed him a bill before stepping out of the cab. "Keep the change." I was in a good mood, why not spread some joy?

I noticed his eyes widen with delight as he said "Thank you sir!" before speeding off.

The doorman greeted me as I walked towards my apartment building.

"Good evening Mr. Cullen."

I acknowledged him as I entered the building. "Chester, nice to see you."

I took the elevator up to the apartment and wasn't surprised to see Alice waiting for me in the foyer.

"I _told_ you that you would talk to her again today. You know, by now you should really know not to doubt me."

I walked past her without saying anything and went straight to kitchen. Just as I was reaching my hand out to open the door to the refrigerator she flitted into the kitchen and began talking again.

"Do you wanna hunt outside the city tonight? I'm growing tired of those pre-packed 'meals.'" She sighed. "They're hardly satisfying."

I glanced in the refrigerator at our choice of food and couldn't help but agree with her. "Alice, you're the one who wanted to come here to begin with. You claimed that The Art Institute of New York City was just calling for you. You knew we would have hunting restrictions." I reminded her.

She pushed out her bottom lip and began pouting. "Comon, Edward. I don't want to go alone. And you can't pretend that you don't want something fresh just as much as I do."

She realized that she had won when I rolled my eyes. "What about Jasper? Does he want to come?"

She looked down to the ground and I read her mind before she even said anything. "He's already eaten." She nearly whispered.

I looked at her knowingly. I was angry but wouldn't let it out on Alice. Jasper's actions weren't her fault anymore than they were mine.

It was challenging enough keeping Jasper in check in most locations but living here, where we were constantly surrounded by people, made watching him near impossible. We knew that it would be difficult for him but we didn't think that he would crack this early.

I looked down at Alice sadly. As hard as this was for me, I knew that it was even worse for Alice. Jasper was her mate and it wasn't easy seeing him so vulnerable and watching him mope around every time he slipped up. His guilt was so profound that you could almost touch it.

"Let's go." Alice said, tugging my sleeve. "I want to be back by morning."

**A/N: **Well thanks for reading and drop a few lines letting me know what you think -- even if you don't like it.

I know I'm not jumping into anything too exciting right away and I don't want to lose anyone's interest but I wanted to set the situation up first. Just by reading the summary and the information at the end of this chapter I'm sure you can see where the story's headed… so stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** **I would like to thank everyone who's read, reviewed, and added the story to their alerts. ****The story is coming to me really easily so I've got another update after just one day =) ****I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 3**

**BPOV**

I had gotten so caught up in my new life in New York -- site seeing, school, and daydreaming about a certain someone -- that I had been neglecting the people whom I had left back home. So it was the guilt that made me call my dad, Charlie. Charlie and I got along pretty well but when it came to talking we scored a somewhere between a C and a C+.

"Well hello there stranger." My dad said into the phone as soon as he heard my voice.

"Hi, Dad. How's everything back home?" I asked.

"Oh, same old thing. Just got done shooing off some hoodlum kids walking around town with cans of spray paint, no doubt looking to wreak some havoc. That's about the only call I've had all day."

"Wow gang activity," I said sarcastically. "That must be exciting." We both knew that Forks would be the last place on earth to harbor a gang. I was willing to bet that Charlie had busted a couple of innocent kids preparing to paint their bikes or add some color to their tree house.

"Yep. Just went fishing this past Saturday with Harry, man did he catch a monster!"

It was endearing listening to Charlie trying to start an interesting topic to entertain me with. In the few years that we lived together we had done a pretty good job at avoiding conversation. It's not that we didn't talk but we both enjoyed our alone time and we didn't mind sitting together in silence. Being around Charlie was always comfortable and we never felt the need to fill silence with meaningless small-talk. But now that I was gone our only form of communication was by phone, which was pretty useless if we didn't talk.

"Wow Dad." I said in response to his five minute description of the "monster" that Harry Clearwater had caught. I tried to sound enthusiastic but he caught on to my boredom.

"Well enough about me, how's the big city life treating ya?"

"It's… different. I'm starting to adjust. Phoenix was a big city but it doesn't really compare." I paused, grasping for information on my new life away from home. "My classes are going good. I guess I like it pretty well so far."

"What's that major you're taking? Writing Language or what-not?"

"English Literature, Dad." I smiled as I pictured him proudly telling people that I was going to New York University for Writing Language.

"Hmm. Did you ever think anymore about that Criminal Justice degree that your guidance counselor mentioned?" As a police officer Charlie would naturally encourage me to pursue a career in something along the lines of criminal justice.

"That's not really my kind of thing, Dad."

"Look Bells, thanks for calling but I just got a call."

"Alright Dad. Love you."

"Yep. And be careful out there. There's a lot of weirdos out that way."

"Okay Dad." I said before hanging up.

As ridiculous as he could be about safety I could understand his apprehension about having his only daughter living on the other side of the country in a large, unknown city. It even made me nervous sometimes. Charlie had somehow talked me into taking a self-defense class over the summer in preparation for the approaching school year. It was a complete disaster. During my first and only class I managed to injure myself much more than any attacker probably would have hurt me. I called it quits after that and we compromised -- he insisted on me carrying a safety whistle with me at all times. "Just in case." He had said.

Several minutes after I had gotten off of the phone with Charlie Angela knocked quietly on my bedroom door, requesting entrance.

"Come in." I said.

"Are you ready to get going? If we don't leave soon we're going to miss the train."

I grumbled, not realizing what time it was. On Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays Angela and I went to school together, riding the subway to campus and either walking or taking the subway back home, depending on how many books we had. We had made our schedules together, trying to get as many classes in similar time slots as possible.

I jumped up and put my schoolwork together as quickly as I could. After a few minutes of scrambling I had managed to gather all of the binders, books, and papers that I would need. As soon as I threw my bag over my shoulder we left the building in a rush, making a straight bee-line to the subway station.

Angela went through the security passage first (**see note at end of chapter**), with me close behind her. I slid my metro pass through the scanner and pushed the bar for entrance into the pick-up area. The bar didn't move.

"It's denied." I said with disbelief before remembering that I had used my last pass yesterday and that I was supposed to reload today. "Ugh, I'm all out of rides. Quick, hand me your card." I said to Angela.

Right as she began fumbling in her bag for her card we saw our train pull up. At that moment I heard a curse word pass through Angela's lips for the first time since I had known her.

"We don't have time! Hop it!" She said urgently, referring to the not-uncommon but completely illegal act of either jumping over or crawling under the passageway that leads into the subway system without paying.

We both knew that the trains only stopped for forty-five seconds -- fifty if you were lucky.

Though we were both law-abiding citizens we looked each other in the eye for only a brief moment before I made the decision to "hop" the gate. I struggled over the bar, falling to the ground on the other side, giving myself several bruises but also putting myself three feet closer to our destination. I sprang up onto my feet as quickly as I could and began bounding towards the train, my arms outstretched as though that would really help me move any faster. With Angela a stride ahead of me she pushed through the people around us, making way for the both of us in the crowd. With not a second to spare we reached the train, leaving all dirty looks and shouts of protest on the platform behind us.

I groaned and rubbed my elbow, grimacing at Angela. "Next time I'll just show up to class fifteen minutes late."

In the end the rush to the train was well worth the bruises because I arrived to class early, choosing a seat surrounded by empty chairs -- one of which Edward decided to occupy.

"Good after-- are you okay?" He exclaimed when he saw my disheveled appearance.

Embarrassed, I attempted to calm my hair before replying, "I'm fine. Just had a little mishap with the subway on my way to class today."

"Ahh." He nodded his head in understanding. He paused before saying, "My sister and I just bought a parking spot so that we could keep our car in the city with us. I drove to class so… I could drive you home if you don't think that would be out of line."

"That's really nice of you but I live downtown so it's kind of out of the way. My apartment is just a few blocks away from Awakenings."

"Awakenings?" He questioned.

"Yeah, that coffee shop. The one you were just at the other day."

"Oh, yes. Well, I had something I wanted to do in that area after school so I really wouldn't mind giving you a ride. What time do you get done with classes?"

Before I could respond the professor had already began talking about our most recent topic. Edward and I exchanged the necessary information -- phone numbers, what time we would be done with classes for the day, and where we would meet -- by passing notes throughout the lecture. I felt like I was back in middle school, passing notes in class and fantasizing about guys out of my league.

More than wanting a ride back to the apartment I really just wanted to spend more time with Edward. And as much as I wanted to be with alone with him it didn't feel right going with him and making Angela take the subway home alone. So I texted Angela and told her about our transportation plans. When we were done with school for the day Angela and I waited in front of the library for Edward to meet us.

Right when I was beginning to wonder if he had bailed on our plan I saw a copper-colored head of hair walking through the masses. Edward. He was easy to spot in a sea of people. Not only was he much more attractive than the average person but he had a distinct bounce in his step, a very dignified gait. His hair was a magnificent organish-brownish color that I doubted could be replicated. It was not quite chestnut, not quite copper… it was just _Edward_. His eyes were also very unique. He had the most tantalizing golden eyes that seemed to smolder with warmth -- but wait… hadn't he had dark, ink-like eyes when I had seem him the other day? Either way he was unmistakable.

"And you must be Angela." He greeted Ang with a handshake before leading us in the direction of his car.

She ogled him for a moment before gaining some composure. With him walking ahead of us she turned to me and made a dramatic face that I could only translate into a wordless "Oh. My. God." So I wasn't the only one who found him beautiful. After walking for several minutes we reached his car where he promptly rushed to the passengers side to open the front door for me and the back door for Angela.

I gave him our address and he pulled the car out of the parking spot and we began gliding down the road. He was a good driver, maneuvering the car through the heavy traffic with ease. After a short ride we arrived at our apartment and Angela and I sat awkwardly in the car for a moment.

"Well thank you for the ride Edward. It was nice meeting you." Angela left us alone after a few seconds. She had done as I hoped she would and hadn't waited for me to leave the car with her. I wanted to say goodbye to him in private.

"I wanted to check out an art gallery a few blocks from here… someone I know has a few pieces displayed. I was wondering if you wanted to join me."

Though I was elated that he had thought to invite me I tried to hide the excitement when I responded. "Sure. That sounds like fun."

We went to the gallery and took our time picking apart each piece, telling each other what we liked and what we either didn't understand or didn't care for. Though I was underdressed Edward made me feel very comfortable in a setting that I normally wouldn't have been able to relax in. After adequately evaluating each piece of art we went to Awakenings so that we could sit down and continue talking.

Edward seemed to be interested in me, he genuinely wanted to learn more about me, to know about my life. He was intellectually stimulating and asked me questions that I had never been faced with before, simple things that no one had ever thought to ask me before. By the time that we left the coffee shop we had spent the majority of the night together and I felt strangely connected to him. He really understood me, which was refreshing in a world where no one seemed to really know who I was, regardless of the time they spent trying to figure me out.

When we got to my apartment he walked me to my door and I smiled shyly up at him.

"You know, you should really do that more often." He said to me.

"Do what?"

"Smile." He said simply before taking my hand in his and bringing it to his lips.

My heart skipped a beat as I felt his lips brush my skin. His lips were cool and crisp, leaving me with a strange feeling of freshness. This seemed to be the perfect beginning with Edward. The beginning of what I wasn't sure, but I was more than willing to take the time to find out.

**A/N**: I hope this chapter doesn't bore you... nothing too exciting is happening yet but don't worry, it will. But first I have to build Edward and Bella's relationship.

For those of you who aren't familiar with subways, when you first enter a station the outer area is where people can pay for subway passes. There is a gate that you enter where you have to swipe your metro card. The gate opens after payment and gives you access to the inner area of the station where people catch the subway.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think =)


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